Kidliophile A Kids Magazine August 2020

The town of Cartleville like many other towns is full of wonderful families with children and pets. Children, who like most, really love summer vacaon and look forward to it with great longing. It's a friendly town. Neighbours delight in having children over and the lile boys and girls delight in abandon play. Tag and hide and go seek never grows old.There are no playgrounds, no back yards, pools or fruit trees off limits during the summer in Cartleville. Well, except one. The Dunkley's. Or, more specifically, Mrs Dunkley's yard and apple trees. Mrs Dunkley is a 67 year-old widower who lives alone since her husband passed and her only daughter, Mary, got married and moved far away. Her husband's best bud Colton, a golden fur ridgeback dog is her only companion most days. She sll misses her husband and daughter very much, and has grown indifferent to her neighbours and their "busy body kids", as she oen refers to them. But what's most interesng, is that Mrs Dunkley has the biggest most fruiul apple trees in the whole of Cartleville. One in parcular, the neighbours and all the children nicknamed Appletopia. It was tall and wide and sat at the front of the yard, where all passers-by could see, but never taste of. Except for some really brave kids, much like Kyle and Johnny. Ring leaders, you'd maybe call them. "Johnny, they're calling me", Kyle squeaked, gazing at Appletopia with his eyes as big and round as the fruits he desired. Kyle and Johnny were 7th graders in high school who just couldn't wait for the last bell on the last day of school. They were the best at every game of the kids in the neighbourhood and of course Mrs. Dunkley's favourite targets. Mrs. Dunkley knew the boys were oen tempted to sneakily enter her yard and climb Appletopia and she oen dared them to. Just so she could have the thrill of being mean. Oen during the days, she'd peak through her living room window and whenever a brave boy or girl would climb her tree, she would dash to the back and Release Colton from his leash. Colton's job was then to stay at the base of the tree barking and jumping to scare the intruder now stuck. She would delight in such bliss whenever she happened to catch just one each summer. She'd laugh so hard unl it suited her to call Colton back and restrain him, so the terrified climber could come down. Kyle and Johnny knew this well and knew she was watching. They could feel her eyes peering through the window, looking for the next brave lad who dared to climb Appletopia."Johnny, you know, you've always been a faster runner than I am" Kyle jeered."But you're the crazy one, so this is right up your ally" Johnny replied. Both boys were equally intrigued at the thought of conquering Appletopia and making it out alive with the best apples Cartleville had to offer. What a story it would be to tell on the first day back at school?!

"That's it! I'm going in!" Kyle insisted. "This is the plan. We'll both go in and I'll climb. I'll throw the apples to you, so it'll be easier for me to get down" he connued. "I don't know" Johnny mumbled. "Come on, I'm the one climbing!" Kyle replied, "If Colton gets out then you can run." "Ok fine, let's do it. But just know if I hear Colton coming, I'm not scking around." Johnny stated. The two boys then made their way to Mrs. Dunkley's gate and as quietly as they could, slid the lock open. They could hear Colton's chains around back as he paced up and down and as they ancipated, Mrs. Dunkley was very much on watch from the living room. "Ah, brave lile ones aren't we?" she muered, with a delighul smile on her face. She knew just the perfect me to make her move. Just when the unsuspecng intruder was far enough up the tree for Colton to make his way to the front and trap them. The two boys quietly made their way to Appletopia, and as planned, Kyle began to make his way up and started picking. Johnny nervously looked around and listened for any signs of Colton. Mrs. Dunkley waited for the right moment. She watched unl Kyle got as high as he needed to reach the most beauful apples and began to make her way to the back. The boys could tell something was afoot. But Kyle kept throwing as much apples he could reach to Johnny. "Come on let's go!" Johnny began to shout "we have enough." Colton heard the boys and began to bark in a frenzy. He knew exactly what was happening and just what to do. If only Mrs. Dunkley would release him. This me, however, she didn't quite make it around to unleash him. While hasly making her way to him, Mrs. Dunkley bumped her knee on an old grandfather clock her husband had bought at a local yard sale many years before. She fell to the ground and began to scream for help, but the sound of Colton's barking almost drowned her pleas. Kyle and Johnny were by then almost through the gate when just on a whim, Kyle decided to express one small act of kindest. In a great hurry, he made his way to the front porch and place one of his choicest apples on Mrs. Dunkley's top step. As he placed the apple down and turned to leave, he heard Mrs. Dunkley cries for help. "Johnny, wait!" he called. "Are you crazy? Well, I know you are, but let's go!" Johnny replied. "No, she's inside." Kyle informed him. "Yes, and Colton will be out any second! Let's go!" Johnny insisted. "No wait, she's crying for help, I think she's hurt. I'm going in." Kyle replied as he made his way up the step and through Mrs. Dunkley's unlocked door. "Mrs. Dunkley?!" he cried, eagerly hoping to find her as Johnny stood at the gate, hoping Colton's .barking would connue echoing from the back and not make its way out front. Kyle found Mrs. Dunkley sing on the floor, holding her knee with her back pressed against the very clock that spoiled her plan. "Johnny!" he called, "come give me a hand." Johnny, dropping all the apples he had then ran inside in aid of Mrs. Dunkley. The boys lied her from the ground and placed her in a chair nearby. They gave her water And even rubbed her hurng knee. Before leaving, Kyle decided to take the apple he had thought to leave on her step and placed it in her hand. Without many words and a smile of gratude, Mrs.Dunkley knew from then on, she had caring neighbours and friends in Johnny and Kyle.

The End

Writer: Jason Cousins